Electric socket and plug



' Nov. 12, 1940. L, WO 2,221,280

ELECTRIC SOCKET- AND PLUG Fil ed Oct. 22, 1938 2 Shets-Sheet l 'Invenior Z.' By 222% I 19% A itorneys Nov. 12, 1940. I A. 1.. WOODSIDE 2,221,280

I ELECTRIC SOCKET AND PLUG Filed Oct. 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iriuenior A ttorneys Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SUCKET AND PLUG- Albert L. Woodside, Butte, Monti, assignor of onehalf to Charles E. Woodside, Spokane, Wash.

Application October 22, 1938, Serial No. 236,470

1 Claim.

and provides in its construction a socket or female element and a plug or male element; the socket or female element being connected in the regular electric circuit and the male element or plug being connected to the extension cord of the electric appliance and said plug or male member being easily inserted in the socket or female element to complete the circuit to the appliance and which through a quarter of a turn will break the circuit to the appliance, eliminating the necessity of withdrawing the plug or male element in order to break the circuit to the appliance, or the use of an auxiliary switch in the extension cord as now frequently employed in order'to break the circuit.

Another object of this invention is the provision of means in the construction of the-socket or female member which will prevent a person from inserting the finger or fingers therein and receiving a shock.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts 80 to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

85 Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a socket and plug constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the socket with the plug removed.

Figure 3 is a side elevation illustrating the Plug.

Figure 4 is a side elevation illustrating the socket.

Figure 5 is a front elevation illustrating the 5 socket.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a modified form-of socket.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 'l-| of Figure 1.

60 Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating the contacts included in the construction of the socket.

Figure 9 is a perspective view illustrating one of the contact members.

55 Referring in detail to the drawings, thenumeral 5 indicates the socket or female element while the character 6 indicates the plug or male element. The socket or female element includes a housing I closed at one end, as shown at 8, while its opposite end is integral with a face 5 plate 9 apertured 'to receive screws or like fasteners for the mounting of the socket ina wall. The face plate and the open end of the body I are shaped to form a'substantially conical-shaped opening or mouth It for the body and has the 10 walls thereof grooved to receive therein a substantially annular split contact provided on its inner face with an annular rib l2. An ex-' .tension i3 is integral with the contact H and exa screw l5 for connecting an electric wire l6 go I thereto. The electric wire it forms part of an electric circuit. The body directly under the' aperture of the terminal M is provided with a socket in which the screw l5 may move when threaded fully into the opening of the terminal as M. The endwall 8 of the body 1 has formed therein a passage provided with angularly related branches to receive a terminal I! including angularly related portions, one of which terminates in an apertured portion screw threaded so to receive a set screw l8 to receive the other wire IQ of the. circuit. The other angularly related portion of the terminal extends into the chamber 2|! of the body 1. and is integral with contact arms 2| each of a flexible nature and a5 arranged in parallel relation to one another with their free ends terminating in cup-shaped portions 22 with lips 23 thereon. Insulating pieces 24 are mounted on the lips of the contact members or elements 2| so that should a child or 49 person with a very small finger attempt to insert the finger into the body by way of the opening ID the finger will be prevented from coming inengagement with the contact arms 2| and receiving a burn or electric shock.

If desired as shown in Figure 6, the body I may have the face plate eliminated and equipped with a flange 25 in lieu thereof so that the body can be easily handled for being threadedv into an I ordinary electric output socket. In this form 50 of body a screw threaded ferrule 26is provided thereon and is connected with the extension l3 of the contact I l and the terminal I! of the contact arms 2| extend through the ends of the body so as to cooperate with the ferrule 26 53 y in completing an electric circuit with a conventional type of screw threaded socket type electric output.

Referring in detail to the plug or maleelement 6, it consists of an elongated body-21, a portion of which is of substantially conical shape, as shown at 28, and terminates in an end portion in the shape of a ball or sphere 29 on which is mounted a contact strip 30 curved to conform to the contour of the ball or sphere and which is connected to an electric lead or conductor 3| extending through the body 21 for connection in any well known manner to a wire of an electric cord .(not shown). A substantially conical shaped contact 32 is mounted in a groove formed in the conical shaped portion 28 of the body 21 and is provided with a groove 33 to receive the rib l2 of the contact II when the conical shaped portion 28 is inserted in the opening in of the face plate and body I of the female element or socket 5, the ball or sphere 29 entering between the contact elements 2| and received by the cup-shaped portions thereof to establish an electrical connection. A conductor 34 embedded in the body 21 of the plug connects with the contact 32 and with the other wire of the extension cord. When the plug is positioned in the socket it may be turned to move the contact 30 out of engagement with the contacts 2!, consequently breaking the circuit between the contacts 2i and the conductors 3| and 34 of the plug or to the electric appliance to which the extension cord is connected, obviating the ne cessity of withdrawing the plug from the socket in order to break the circuit. The plug constructed in accordance with the foregoing and as shown in the drawings will be extremely durable and capable of withstanding excessive strains or pulls and is easily inserted into the socket due to the shape of the portion 28 of the plug and the shape of the opening in the face plate or the open end of the body of the socket.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the'drawings will fully set forth the construction and advantages of my invention to those skilled in the art to which such a device relates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

What I claim is:

A socket and plug device comprising a female element including a body of non-conducting material having a chamber therein opening out at one end of the body and said opening being of conical shape, a metal ring of tapered shape embedded in the wall of said opening with its internal circumference flush with said wall of the opening, a rib on said circumferential wall of'the ring, a part of the ring extending to the exterior part of the body for engaging a conductor member, a contact member embedded in the closed end of the body and having a pair of spring contacts extending into the chamber, a male member of non-conducting material having a conical-shaped portion for fitting in the conical opening and said conical part having an annular groove therein for receiving the rib, the groove carrying part being of conducting material, a conductor passing through the male member and connected with the said conducting part, a head on the end of the conical part of the male member for engaging the pair of spring contacts, a contact part of conducting material carried by the head and bridging the spring contacts when the male member is in one position and said contact part disengaging the spring contacts when the male member has been .partly rotated to another position, a conductor passing through the male member and connected with the contact part of the head.

ALBERT L. WOODSIDE. 

